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It is clear that just as the enslaved were determined to gain their freedom, they also were determined to establish and preserve families. Family was central, and essential, for those who fled. Treated by owners as isolated individuals, rather than as persons who were part of kinship networks, enslaved people who fled viewed family as both a physical and psychological destination—people to return to, to be united with, or with whom they shared familial relations and responsibilities.

About This Project

"Family Ties on the Underground Railroad" aims to provide new insights into the experiences of enslaved individuals and families who passed through Philadelphia between 1855 and 1857 and the covert networks that aided their escape. This prototype is part of a larger effort by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania to weave new connections between William Still's "Journal C" and his published book, The Underground Rail Road. Read more.